Ombudsman's reports encourages public bodies to learn from complaints

12 Dec 2008

Press release 08/05

Today the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, publishes her report Improving public service: a matter of principle. This is her second report on how government bodies and the NHS handle complaints, and forms part of an ongoing series of complaint digests. Her first report Remedy in the NHS was published in June this year.

Improving public service: a matter of principle includes real cases from a range of public bodies and illustrates good and bad practice in dealing with complaints. Ms Abraham shares the lessons her Office has learnt from recent investigations and urges public bodies to improve public administration and complaint handling practices.

“I fully appreciate that when public bodies deliver services on a large scale, things can go wrong from time to time. The key is how they then deal with the mistake and put it right. Complaints are a valuable source of feedback and handled well, provide an opportunity to improve both service and reputation”.

The cases highlighted illustrate how the Ombudsman’s previous publications Principles of Good Administration and Principles for Remedy can be used to improve the outcome of complaints.

Ms Abraham says she is determined to make sure public bodies are aware of the standards she expects from them when providing services to the public.

“I am committed to do more to tell public bodies in my jurisdiction, including the National Health Service, the value of dealing with complaints promptly and effectively.

My Principles of Good Complaint Handling (published last month) gives further guidance to public bodies on dealing with complaints”.

The following publications are available to download from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s website www.ombudsman.org.uk.

 

The six Principles in each case are:

  • Getting it right,
  • being customer focused,
  • being open and accountable,
  • acting fairly and proportionately,
  • putting things right, and
  • seeking continuous improvement.

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Notes to Editors

 
  1. The following cases are mentioned in Improving public service: a matter of principle:
    2.    

        The National Health Service
     
    • Rotherham Primary Care Trust and South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority (now Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority)
    • The Healthcare Commission
    • A General Practitioner
    • The Healthcare Commission
    • Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the Healthcare Commission
    • A Dental Practice and a Dentist
    • Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust (now Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), Berkshire East Teaching Primary Care Trust (now Berkshire East Primary Care Trust) and the Healthcare Commission
    • Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust (now Taunton and Somerset NHS
      Foundation Trust) and the Healthcare Commission
     

      Government departments, agencies and public bodies
     
    • The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (now the UK Border Agency) of the Home Office
    • HM Courts Service
    • The Disability and Carers Service (now the Pension, Disability and Carers Service) of the Department for Work and Pensions
    • The Learning and Skills Council for England
    • HM Revenue & Customs
    • The Security Industry Authority
    • HM Courts Service
    • Jobcentre Plus of the Department for Work and Pensions
    • The Criminal Records Bureau
    • The Health and Safety Executive
    • The Department of Health
    • Jobcentre Plus of the Department for Work and Pensions
  2. Publication details: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Improving public service: a matter of principle, HC9, 11 December 2008.
  3. Press copies of the report are available from the Communications team, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP, telephone: 0300 061 4996/ 4258, email press@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk.
  4. From 12 December 2008 you can also find the report on the website here.
  5. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about government departments and a range of other public bodies in the UK, and the NHS in England. She is independent of the Government, the civil service and the NHS. Her services are free and confidential.